The capital of the Inca Empire has a history that is evident on every corner: Inca ruins in Cusco They appear both in the city center, beneath colonial houses built on stone walls, and in the surrounding mountains , a few kilometers away. This guide answers the most frequently asked question before planning an itinerary: which archaeological sites are truly worth visiting, and how to get to each one without wasting time.
Throughout this article, you'll find distances from the center of Cusco, what to expect from each site, and available guided tours so you can explore them without having to arrange transportation separately. From the walls of Sacsayhuamán to the citadel of Machu Picchu itself , each place on this list has a distinct history and function within the Inca Empire.
If you already know which places you want to visit, you can directly check the available excursions in Cusco to choose the one that best suits your itinerary.
Inca ruins in the city of Cusco and its surroundings
Before heading to the Sacred Valley or Machu Picchu, you can find the most important archaeological sites of the ancient empire very close to your accommodation in the city of Cusco itself and the surrounding hills . Most are less than 10 kilometers from the historic center, allowing you to visit them in a single morning or afternoon without having to arrange long transfers or get up too early.
These sites were part of a system connected by Inca roads , serving a range of functions from religious to military and administrative. This explains why each one has such a distinct architectural style, and it's crucial to have local guides who understand the purpose of each site as well as its architectural details.
It's worth clarifying something before we begin: not all Inca ruins in the region are visited in the same way. Some are just a short walk from the historic center, others require a full-day excursion, and visiting Machu Picchu involves booking train tickets and entrance fees well in advance . Therefore, this guide is ordered from closest to farthest, starting with what you can see on foot from the Plaza de Armas.
Sacsayhuamán, the most famous fortress
Sacsayhuamán is the first must-see stop . It is 2 kilometers from the Plaza de Armas, at 3,700 meters above sea level, and its name comes from the Quechua saqsay ("satisfied") and waman ("falcon"): the "satisfied falcon", a bird associated in Andean cosmology with the sky and vigilance, consistent with the position of the site, dominating the city from the heights.
Its construction began under the reign of Pachacuti in the 15th century and continued during the reigns of his son Tupac Yupanqui and his grandson Huayna Capac: in total, more than 50 years of work with thousands of laborers from across the empire. The zigzag walls, up to 5 meters high, are made of stone blocks that weigh up to 125 tons, brought from quarries located 20 kilometers away.
In 1536, Sacsayhuamán was also the site of an uprising led by Manco Inca against the Spanish , who eventually regained control of the site. During the colonial period, much of its stone was used to build churches and mansions in the center of Cusco, so today only about 40% of the original structure remains.
Although for years it was described as a military fortress, today most specialists agree that it also served a religious, astronomical, and ceremonial function. Within the complex, one can see the Rodadero (a natural rock formation that the Incas used as a slide), the bases of three Muyuq Marka towers , circular in plan and possibly used as a solar observatory, the Chincana tunnels, and the so-called Inca Throne , carved directly into the rock. This religious function is reinforced every June 24th, when the site hosts the reenactment of Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun , as well as other smaller celebrations such as Warachikuy in September.
The tour of Sacsayhuamán can be done on foot from the Plaza de Armas , going up the Resbalosa or Arco Iris streets for about 30 to 45 minutes, or by taxi in just 10 to 15 minutes, at a reference cost of 10 to 15 soles.
For those who have just arrived in Cusco and haven't yet acclimatized to the altitude, this second option is usually the most recommended. The site is open every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it doesn't have its own entrance: entry is only granted with the Cusco Tourist Ticket , either the general version (valid for 10 days for 16 attractions) or the partial circuit that covers Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay separately.
Qenqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay
A few minutes from Sacsayhuamán, along the same road to Pisac, are three other sites that are often visited on the same route. Qenqo is a rocky outcrop carved with channels, staircases, and an underground altar, associated with funerary and agricultural rituals, and is located just over 4 kilometers from the town center.
Further along, Puka Pukara , whose name in Quechua means "Red Fortress" because of the reddish hue its walls take on at sunset, is about 6 or 7 kilometers from the center of Cusco, on the road to Pisac, at an altitude of 3,580 meters above sea level.
Finally, Tambomachay , just a few meters from Puka Pukara, is known as "the Inca Baths": a set of canals and water fountains that continues to function today, more than 500 years after its construction, thanks to a hydraulic system that has not yet been fully explained.
The most practical way to visit these four sites in a single day is with the Cusco City and Nearby Ruins Tour , which includes Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay, along with the main attractions of Cusco's historic center. This half-day tour with a guide is ideal for your first or second day of acclimatization in the city.
How long does it take to get to Puca Pucara from Cusco?
It is about 6 or 7 kilometers from the historic center, on the road to Pisac, a journey of between 15 and 20 minutes by car or taxi.
Coricancha, the Temple of the Sun beneath the colonial Cathedral
Few places encapsulate the history of Cusco as well as Coricancha . The Coricancha temple was the most important sanctuary in Cusco during the Inca Empire. Its walls were covered with sheets of gold, and it was a place of worship for Inti, the Sun god, as well as the Moon and other deities of the Andean pantheon . Its name in Quechua means, precisely, "golden enclosure."
After the Spanish conquest, the stone walls of the Coricancha were used as a foundation to build the Convent of Santo Domingo , in a gesture that pretty much sums up the colonial logic of superimposing the new religion on top of the most important Inca temples.
Today, when walking through the interior of the convent, you can clearly see where the carved stone of the Incas ends and where the Spanish construction begins: it is probably the most visited example of coexistence between both architectures in the entire city, and it is a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas, which makes it easy to add to any walk through the center.
Cusco Coricancha and the Cathedral: two examples of superimposed architecture
The Cusco Cathedral , in the Plaza de Armas, has a similar history to that of the Coricancha, although on a smaller scale: it was built on the foundations of the ancient palace of the Inca Viracocha, reusing carved stones from other nearby Inca sites, including Sacsayhuaman.
This custom of building on Inca foundations was not an exception, but the norm in the historic center, and it is the reason why today you can walk through a good part of Cusco reading, almost like an open book, the history of that superposition between two very different cultures.
Inca ruins in Cusco and Spanish houses: the walls that support the historic center
Beyond the grand temples, much of Cusco's archaeological appeal lies hidden in plain sight, in the streets of the city center . When the Spanish founded the colonial city on March 23, 1534, they demolished a large part of the Inca buildings and erected their new houses directly on top of the remaining stone walls , especially in the most important areas of the former capital, where the Inca nobility and priests had once lived.
This combination of Inca ruins and Spanish houses in Cusco is, today, one of the city's defining characteristics, and explains why it is known as the "archaeological capital of the Americas." Inca and colonial architecture coexist in the same building more often than it might seem at first glance , something that is especially noticeable in the stone plinths that support many facades in the historic center.
Colonial houses built on Inca walls
Several of the most important mansions in the historic center retain their Inca foundations as the basis of the colonial construction.
- The House of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega , located between Heladeros and Garcilaso streets, was built on an Inca wall and today functions as the Regional Historical Museum of Cusco.
- The Admiral's House , the current headquarters of the Inka Museum, occupies the site of an ancient Inca construction and preserves one of the most complete collections of ceramics, goldwork and textiles in the city.
- The House of the Four Busts , opposite Coricancha itself, is distinguished by the four stone busts carved into its facade, and today it functions as a hotel.
- The Concha family house , on Santa Catalina Ancha street, was built on what was the palace of the Inca Túpac Yupanqui, and today houses the Machu Picchu Casa Concha Museum.
Walking through these streets, paying attention to the stone plinths that support the colonial facades, is a different way of seeing Cusco: you don't need to leave the city to find original Inca architecture, you just need to know where to look and walk slowly through the historic center.
Ruins of the Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray
Less than an hour and a half from downtown Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas boasts some of the most complete archaeological sites in the entire region , as well as towns that still retain much of their colonial and Inca layout. For this reason, it is, along with the city of Cusco itself, the area with the highest concentration of ruins in Peru to visit within a short distance.
Unlike sites near the city, the Sacred Valley combines archaeological ruins with agricultural landscape in use : several of the terraces seen today are still cultivated with the same Inca techniques, giving the visit a living component not found in other museum-like sites in the region.
Pisac and Ollantaytambo, ruins of the Sacred Valley
To visit both sites in a single day, along with the town of Chinchero, the Sacred Valley of the Incas: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero tour with lunch is the most comprehensive excursion in the area. It includes a guide and lunch at a local restaurant and is a full-day tour that departs early from downtown Cusco.
Pisac combines a popular artisan market with an archaeological complex in the upper part of the town, featuring amphitheater-shaped agricultural terraces and a ceremonial area connected by steep paths. From the town, the archaeological site can be reached by car or on foot, with views of the Urubamba River valley throughout the ascent.
Ollantaytambo , further west, is one of the few towns in the region that has preserved its Inca urban layout almost intact , with water channels that still run through the central streets; its fortress, on a steep hillside, was the scene of one of the few battles that the Incas won against the Spanish, in 1537. In addition to its archaeological value, Ollantaytambo serves as the train station from which most services to Aguas Calientes depart , so many travelers pass through it on their way to Machu Picchu.
Chinchero, Moray and the Maras Salt Mines
Chinchero is about 30 kilometers from Cusco , and combines a colonial church built on Inca foundations with a textile market where garments are still dyed and woven using ancestral techniques, with natural dyes extracted from plants and minerals from the area.
Nearby, Moray is one of the most photographed sites in the Sacred Valley: a series of concentric circular terraces, carved into a natural depression in the terrain. The Incas are believed to have used this structure as an agricultural laboratory, taking advantage of the temperature difference between the upper and lower levels of each ring to experiment with different crops before introducing them to other regions of the empire.
Just a few minutes from Moray, the Maras Salt Mines are a collection of more than 3,000 salt pools on the hillside, in use since pre-Incan times and still exploited today by local families organized in a cooperative.
The Chinchero, Textiles, Maras, and Moray tour covers all three sites in a half-day excursion. It's ideal for those who have already visited Pisac and Ollantaytambo and want to explore the other half of the Sacred Valley without repeating a full day trip.
Machu Picchu and Choquequirao, the most imposing Inca citadels
No article about Inca ruins in Cusco can leave out Machu Picchu , the most famous citadel of the entire empire and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. You can reach it from Cusco by train to Aguas Calientes and from there by bus to the entrance of the citadel.
The entire journey, including the initial transfer to the train station (usually in Ollantaytambo, about two hours from Cusco), the train journey, and the bus ride up, usually takes up most of the day if done as a day trip.
Less well-known, but increasingly sought after by those who have already visited Machu Picchu, is Choquequirao , the so-called "sister" of the citadel due to its similar architecture. Unlike Machu Picchu, it cannot be reached by train or bus: it requires a multi-day trek from the town of Cachora, about 4 hours from Cusco, descending and then ascending the Apurímac River canyon.
How to visit Machu Picchu and Choquequirao
The Machu Picchu trip organizes the train transfer from Cusco or Ollantaytambo, the bus to the entrance and the guided tour of the archaeological site, with the option of returning the same day or spending the night in Aguas Calientes to have more time to explore without rushing.
For those looking for something more physical and less crowded, the Choquequirao trek covers this multi-day route, with a guide, muleteers, and all camping equipment included.
With these seven points, you now have a complete overview of the main Inca ruins in Cusco , from the city center to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, including distances and ways to get to each. If your trip continues beyond Cusco, and you're thinking of combining it with Lima and the Amazon rainforest, the classic Peru and Amazon Rainforest tour is a great way to extend your trip beyond the Cusco region without having to organize each leg separately or coordinate transfers between cities on your own.
Is it possible to visit Machu Picchu on the same trip as Choquequirao?
Yes, although it requires several additional days: Choquequirao is explored as a separate trek, a round trip from Cachora, and is not part of the classic train circuit to Machu Picchu.
Which are the most recommended ruins in Peru to visit outside of Cusco?
Besides the seven in this guide, other popular ruins in Peru include Chan Chan and the Huacas del Sol y la Luna, near Trujillo, and the Nazca Lines, although the latter are flown over by small plane rather than explored on foot.
What is the difference between Coricancha and the Cusco Cathedral?
Both are examples of colonial architecture built on Inca foundations, but the Coricancha was the most important temple of the empire dedicated to the Sun, while the Cathedral was built on the ancient palace of the Inca Viracocha, with stones brought from other sites such as Sacsayhuaman.